A small but growing group: Single moms over 40

By the numbers: In the U.S, more than 1% of babies were born to unmarried women 40 and older in 2024, per CDC data, a small but fast-growing slice.

• And overall, about 40% of babies are born to unmarried women.
• Yes, but: "Unmarried women" can include cohabitating couples.

What they're saying: "The majority of our members are having children via fertility [treatments]" and are in their "30s and 40-plus," says Kat Curtin, director of the international Single Mothers by Choice (SMC) support group.

• Members typically have "dated, come into their career, come into their life" and are ready to start a family, she says.
• "You don't go down this path and be confident that you can raise a child by yourself unless you have a level of independence and resiliency."

Catch up quick: When SMC started in 1981, adoption made up a larger share of members' paths to parenthood, Curtin says.

• Back then, she says, being a single mom by choice was "stigmatized" and seen as "selfish."
• But now, "There is more of a societal acceptance towards different family units, [including] single-parent households."

The intrigue: Small studies suggest children in single-mom-by-choice households fare as well as those in heterosexual two-parent families. Researchers also find these mothers tend to cultivate broader social support networks.

• Outcomes in divorced families look different.

Reality check: Access to IVF and child care is still heavily income-dependent — and pregnancy isn't a guarantee even for women who freeze their eggs at a younger age.

• Curtin says she worked multiple jobs to fund nearly a decade of trying for a baby, including several rounds of intrauterine insemination and IVF.
• She ultimately had her now-5-year-old daughter via surrogacy.

What we're watching: TrumpRx is offering discounted fertility drugs. But medication is only one piece of IVF's high price tag — leaving questions about whether broader efforts will follow to expand access.